New Delhi: The Income Tax Department continued its survey at BBC offices located in Delhi and Mumbai. There is a strong debate between the ruling party and the opposition about this survey.
Meanwhile, security has been increased at the BBC office in Delhi. The Income Tax Department team conducted a survey in BBC offices for about 11 hours on Tuesday. This survey continued on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, ITBP personnel have been deployed outside the BBC office on KG Marg in Delhi. Security was stepped up outside the BBC office after the Hindu Sena protested.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that this is a political vendetta of the BJP-led central government. She said that this is very unfortunate. This is an act of political vendetta by the BJP government.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP was controlling the media. Such actions affect the freedom of the press. She said that one day there will be no media in the country. They (BJP leaders) don’t care about the people’s mandate, their only mandate dictatorship. They are even ahead of Hitler.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that why this action is being linked to the central government. Income tax is an independent agency in itself. He has the right to check the functioning of any institution. It is not only the BBC but other institutions are also investigated. The BBC itself said that they are cooperating. They have no objection. Therefore, it should not be linked to politics.
Congress leader Pawan Khera attacked the Centre, saying that according to the Modi government, these (BBC and many other media houses) institutions are anti-national because they have written the truth. The hammer of power is being hit on the fourth pillar of democracy, we oppose it.
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said there was nothing new in the Income Tax department’s survey drive at BBC offices as the BJP-led government had allegedly adopted similar measures against journalists in Kashmir.
Mehbooba said the action against BBC India was sending a wrong message internationally and damaging India’s image as a democratic country.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has said that the Income Tax Department’s survey of BBC offices could damage Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s international image. The Congress leader said the BBC has faced such an action perhaps for the first time in its more than 100 years of existence.